The Sport of Kings: How Polo Lives on in the U.S.

On the sidelines of the annual Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup in August, crowds of well-dressed people gathered to watch the Duke of Sussex play on the Aspen Valley Polo Club fields. The tournament benefits Sentebale, a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 that helps young people in the African country of Lesotho.

Harry founded the charity in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, who was famous for her HIV/AIDS advocacy. The match saw many popular players take the field, including Argentinian polo star Nacho Figueras, the Sentebale Captain and a longtime friend of Prince Harry's. The well-heeled crowd looked on as they sipped champagne, cocktails, and rosé.

The town of Aspen isn't just a glitzy ski town; it's a year-round mountain destination with many outdoor pursuits, fabulous restaurants, and its fair share of multi-million homes. For the better part of the last century, Aspen has attracted billionaires and the rich and famous—Jeff Bezos, the Koch family, and Roman Abramovich, to name a few—for its see-and-be-seen crowd and upscale offerings. So it only makes sense that polo, called the Sport of Kings and known for its modern Gatsby-like society crowd, would find its way to the tony town. Over the past decade, Aspen has become a regular stop on the country's polo circuit.

Aspen Valley Polo Club, where the tournament has been held for the last two years, opened in 2014 and is one of the fastest-growing United States Polo Association (USPA) clubs in the country. The sport dates back thousands of years, yet polo in the U.S. began only in the late 19th-century. In the U.S., polo is most played in Palm Beach, Fla.; Westchester and the Hamptons, N.Y.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Greenwich, Conn..

The History of Polo

Polo originated in Persia as both training for war for the Persian Empire's army cavalry and then as a sport sometime between 600 B.C. and 100 A.D. The war game is one of the oldest recorded sports in history and is called the Sport of Kings because it became the national sport of Persian nobility. Polo then spread to Constantinope, Tibet, China, Japan, and southern India.

In the second half of the 19th century, the sport arrived in the U.S., with the first polo club established in Westchester in 1876. Polo began to spread throughout the U.S., and many destinations still operate their centuries-old clubs. In 1924, Spencer Penrose of the Broadmoor, a five-star hotel in Colorado Springs that attracted the Rockefellers and other wealthy families, founded the Broadmoor Polo Association. The hotel hosts the annual Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic that brings in polo players and fans from around the country.

"Polo's popularity peaked during the 1920s as top national team players came from all over the United States to vie for the coveted Penrose Polo Park Gold Cup at The Broadmoor," says Nicholas Francoeur, polo operations officer at The Broadmoor. In 1927, Penrose built a new polo field and a stable for 400 horses, butsport's popularity suffered during the Great Depression and World War II, Francouer says.

The Exclusive Factor

Polo began as a noble sport, and for centuries, it remained one. Even today, the sport conjures images of the royal family, large hats, sprawling estates, and champagne. This is in part due to the many philanthropic initiatives and galas the tournaments benefit, but also the high costs associated with playing. Costs include the horse itself, which ranges from US$3,000 for ponies to US$200,000 for experienced horses; horse trainers; horse upkeep and vets; trailers; equipment; and club and tournament fees. It's common for experienced players to have up to eight horses for regular play, switching them out during matches to keep energy levels up.

Polo's noble history, the high-end locations where the sport is played, and the luxury sponsors contribute to this air of exclusivity. One of Sentebale's core sponsors is the St. Regis, which has its own long history of polo with one of America's wealthiest families: the Astors. The St. Regis also hosts the annual Aspen World Snow Polo Championship, which Figueras also plays in.

"It's a fun sport to watch and has a very high-paced energy," says George Fleck, vice president and global brand leader of St. Regis. "There is this element of see and be seen as well because besides the polo match itself, you have all these spectators and these people who are watching and socializing and celebrating."

Don't let the champagne flutes and cocktail attire fool you—polo is one of the most difficult sports and requires extreme athleticism.

"Polo is way more than charity galas and big hats as far as a competitive sport," says Charles Smith, president of the USPA and son of legendary 20th-century polo player, Cecil Smith. "It's probably one of the most difficult sports from an athlete standpoint because in order to be at the top of the game, you have to be an excellent rider with amazing hand-eye coordination. It's very demanding."

Modern Polo

Today, there are 221 USPA clubs and over 5,300 members. The top location in the U.S. is in Wellington, Fla., just outside of Palm Beach, home of the National Polo Center and host of the Gauntlet Series, which comprises three tournaments with one champion.

"Wellington is a polo mecca and most serious players will spend winters playing there," Smith says. "The Gauntlet Series is the pinnacle of the sport from a competitive standpoint."

Smith says polo ranges from a fairly inexpensive weekend activity, like club polo, to the high-profile Gauntlet Series that requires a more full-time commitment. Smith, a former recreational polo player, hopes his work with USPA will make polo a success around the country and show how fun of a sport it can be.

"Polo is a very inviting sport," polo star Nacho Figueras tells Penta. "There is a lot more diffusion of the sport with the use of social media and streaming, so I think there are now many new ways to promote it. I would tell people to check for a local club close to where you are and please come and learn more about the sport, and there are always ways to get involved."